US - Shellfish farms and hatcheries along the Pacific US coast can now get real-time, online ocean acidification data through the Integrated Ocean Observation System (IOOS), a NOAA-led national-regional partnership working to provide new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect the environment.

“We hope that the data gathered through this system, combined with on-going research, can help NOAA and our partners provide information to support effective adaptation strategies and other coastal resource decision making.”

The IOOS Pacific Region Ocean Acidification Data Portal features data streams from five shellfish hatchery/growing sites using monitoring systems, dubbed “burkolators,” that were developed by Burke Hales, Ph.D., Oregon State University.

The portal also features data streams from NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory’s ocean acidification moorings. Additional ocean acidification data streams from industry, academic, and government partners within Pacific coast regional IOOS associations will be added to the portal in the future.

Ocean acidification is primarily caused by carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, which change seawater chemistry in a way that makes it difficult for many marine organisms to form their shells. Ocean acidification also poses a larger threat to marine ecosystems through food web effects which are still being explored. The resulting changes have both national and global environmental and economic implications.

In the United States, the shellfish aquaculture community is the largest segment of marine aquaculture, providing a nationwide harvest of over $600 million worth of sustainable shellfish, tens of thousands of jobs in rural coastal communities and helping to meet the country’s demand for seafood. The growing impact of ocean acidification threatens the future of the industry.

Pacific coast shellfish hatcheries have seen the most notable impacts from ocean acidification that resulted in a near collapse of the shellfish industry and significant financial losses over the past decade.

The grant funded several activities along the West coast, and Hawaii to support ocean acidification sensor development and applications to provide information about ocean acidification for protection of the shellfish industry.

The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) is a national-regional partnership working to provide new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment.

Integrated ocean information is now available in near real time, as well as retrospectively. Easier and better access to this information is improving our ability to understand and predict coastal events - such as storms, wave heights, and sea level change. Such knowledge is needed for everything from retail to development planning.

It is vital that fish farm operatives who are responsible for farmed fish are trained in their health and
welfare. This will help to ensure that fish are free from disease and suffering whilst at the same time
promote good productivity and comply with legislation.